en-usBBJ Research Alert RSS FeedBBJ Research AlertTue, 03 Mar 2015 20:17:41 +0000Bizjournals RSShttp://www.bizjournals.com
American City Business Journals, Inc. and its licensors. All rights. reserved.http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-hottest-housing-markets-in-massachusetts-2014.htmlThe hottest housing markets in Massachusetts in 2014; city living rules the day (BBJ DataCenter)Wed, 25 Feb 2015 20:51:43 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-hottest-housing-markets-in-massachusetts-2014.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/161211/housingmoneyistockphoto*100xx1135-1135-266-0.jpg">It was a topsy-turvy year for the Bay State's housing market, as a red-hot start quickly cooled amid tight inventories and prolonged uncertainty relative to interest rates and the broader economy.
Nonetheless, most of the state's micro-markets — defined by local ZIP codes — saw value appreciation in 2014; of the 324 neighborhoods analyzed for this report, only 24 reported year-over-year slides in average home values, according to data provided by Zillow.com. Tops among the year's best performers…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-massachusetts-schools-with-the-best-sat-scores.htmlThe Massachusetts schools with the best SAT scores in 2014 (BBJ DataCenter)Tue, 24 Feb 2015 21:46:19 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-massachusetts-schools-with-the-best-sat-scores.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/783641/testmultiplechoicebubblespencil*100xx1558-1563-53-0.jpg">There's always criticism concerning the accuracy and implications of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, popularly known as the SAT. But really, is there a more universally embraced measuring stick in the United States concerning one's "intelligence?"
To be sure, SAT scores are among the more relied upon barometers that help guide (and often pre-determine) some of the most important decisions many Americans will make. Looking to attend a top-performing college? No doubt your search — and your potential…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-bbjs-2015-millionaire-report-the-towns-and.htmlThe BBJ's 2015 Millionaire Report: The towns and cities with the most million-dollar earners (BBJ DataCenter)Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:28:10 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-bbjs-2015-millionaire-report-the-towns-and.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/2980221/moneycloudsinvesting*100xx2526-2526-307-631.jpg">Massachusetts is in the midst of a wealth explosion that is reshaping the state's economy.
In the three years following the Great Recession, the number of Bay State residents reporting at least $1 million in annual income skyrocketed, the amount of their collective earnings bumping up against the $50 billion threshold in 2012 alone. That figure was up by roughly a third from two years prior.
No doubt the state's wealth metrics have snowballed in the interim as a perfect storm of deal making and…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-largest-data-breaches-reported-in-2014.htmlHere are the biggest data breaches reported in Massachusetts in 2014 (BBJ DataCenter)Thu, 05 Feb 2015 16:38:31 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/02/the-largest-data-breaches-reported-in-2014.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/636571/identitytheftdatasecuritybreach*100xx1389-1389-347-0.jpg">The bad news is that 2014 was the second most-successful year on record for hackers seeking to pillage credit card data, social security numbers and myriad personal information belonging to Massachusetts residents. The good news is that, in terms of minimizing the damage from those online assaults, local businesses and nonprofits appear to have collectively waged a vastly improved defense.
According to the state's Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation, there were 1,243 data breaches reported…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/01/massachusetts-property-tax-rates-in-2015-by-town.htmlMassachusetts property-tax rates in 2015, by town and city (BBJ DataCenter)Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:03:00 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2015/01/massachusetts-property-tax-rates-in-2015-by-town.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/2441221/business-taxes-buildings-600*100xx404-404-152-0.jpg">It's that season again when city and town administrators seek approval from the state's tax gods to set property levies for the year ahead. Let us rejoice.
As of this week some 336 municipalities had been given the green light to increase, decrease or leave frozen their levy rates on all forms of property within their borders. And as always, a few interesting story lines have emerged. Among them:
122 cities and towns have won clearance to decrease their residential rates on a year-over-year basis,…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/12/the-massachusetts-towns-and-cities.htmlThe Massachusetts towns and cities with the most million-dollar earners (BBJ DataCenter)Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:24:18 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/12/the-massachusetts-towns-and-cities.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
If 2013 will be remembered for anything, it's that a lot of people made a lot of money dabbling in U.S. stocks and housing.
And while the verdict is still out on whether the U.S. economy has shaken its malaise following the recent recession and 2008 credit crisis, it's clear that asset prices have been on the rise for several years running thanks to rock-bottom interest rates, a weak supply of new housing starts and strong cash flow among U.S. businesses (even if it's come at the expense of hiring).…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/10/here-are-22-massachusetts-business-lobbyists-who.htmlHere are 22 Massachusetts business lobbyists who made over $250k (BBJ Slide Show)Thu, 09 Oct 2014 09:49:48 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/10/here-are-22-massachusetts-business-lobbyists-who.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/2926101/massachusettsstatehousebostonmassachusetts-obliquefrontalview*100xx1915-1920-241-0.jpg">The economy is wobbly. Regulatory changes have companies on their heels. Budget strains at the federal, state and local levels foreshadow tax and fee increases for years to come.
Indeed, it’s a great time to be a business lobbyist.
A Boston Business Journal analysis of tax filings indicates that it's salad days for many of the Bay State’s business advocacy and lobbying groups. Among the state’s 30-largest business-lobbying organizations, revenue increased on average by 10 percent to around…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/10/how-clean-is-your-favorite-restaurant-in-boston.htmlHow clean is your favorite restaurant in Boston? Dare to find out. (BBJ DataCenter)Mon, 06 Oct 2014 20:14:10 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/10/how-clean-is-your-favorite-restaurant-in-boston.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/3968181/hamburgerwithbacon*100xx756-758-130-0.jpg">Be prepared to be grossed out.
Big cities have lots of restaurants, and as such they have ample opportunity to rack up loads of health code violations pertaining to the practices and presence of, er, uninvited critters at eateries within their borders. Boston is no exception.
The city logged roughly 40,000 records related to health-code violations at local restaurants during the 12-month period that ended Sept. 1, a stomach-turning accomplishment that saw thousands of cases reported in each of…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/09/the-mass-towns-with-biggest-property-tax-bills.htmlThe cities and towns with biggest property tax bills in Massachusetts (BBJ DataCenter)Thu, 11 Sep 2014 18:47:43 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/09/the-mass-towns-with-biggest-property-tax-bills.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/3370101/everettsquareh*100xx1147-1147-287-0.jpg">Home prices are generally the leading indicator when it comes to a community's affordability. What few take into account, at least when it comes to comparing and contrasting the total cost of living in a given town or city, is what you can expect to pay in property taxes, both in the immediate sense as well as in the years ahead.
A Boston Business Journal analysis has highlighted wide disparities in the average property-tax bills paid by homeowners throughout the commonwealth, with many communities…http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/08/here-are-restaurant-violations-in-cambridge.htmlHere are over 2,000 restaurant violations in Cambridge since Jan. 1Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:25:11 +0000Craig Douglashttp://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2014/08/here-are-restaurant-violations-in-cambridge.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search
<img src="http://media.bizj.us/view/img/2737621/brassunion-steakfrites-grillednystrip4-1*100xx3162-3168-235-0.jpg">The city of Cambridge and its bustling Kendall Square neighborhood have been grabbing headlines of late, largely on the backs of the big biotechs rumbling into the area's tight office and R&D market. No doubt the stampede will only add to the neighborhood's draw for local restaurateurs hoping to hang a shingle.
To be sure, Cambridge has long been a mecca for foodies and hipsters who pride themselves on showcasing an encyclopedic knowledge of where one can find the best taco truck or empanadas or…